I didn't bake bread; it's not essential, after all, and if we don't have homemade bread, so what. Besides, we still have a full loaf.
I felt like making cookies, so that's what I did instead, while thinking fondly of the friend who gave me her recipe for oatmeal cookies. She is over 80 now, and I have the recipe in her handwriting.
I went for three — count 'em, three! — walks, instead of the usual one. I rambled north, I rambled, south, I rambled east, and I rambled all around the perimeter (or as close to it as I could get, considering all the sloughs on our property) of our "back 40." God how I love rubber boots. You can go almost anywhere!
Oh, and I did work for two hours; I wasn't totally self-indulgent. Responsibilities are responsibilities.
At one point our old dog Jenna Doodle was barking like crazy; I could tell she was mad. When I went to see what it was all about, from the back step I saw a very large white coyote making its exit from the swampy area just behind the dugout that's behind our back yard. We live in a wetland, y'know. It's bird city around here — fabulous! so much birdsong now that I went downstairs and brought up the window screens so I can hear the birds while I'm in the house — and yesterday the frogs started their spring courtship songs. Before long they'll be so loud it won't matter if all the windows are closed, we'll still hear them out there. It's a wondrous time of the year. Robins are singing their territorial songs; chickadees are doing the same; there are even some bird calls I don't recognize. Scott says he saw but hasn't heard the sora, one of my favourites. I'm waiting ... .
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Also, the endless flocks of snow geese are now flying over. They fill the sky for as far as the eye can see. I stand there amazed.
We went for a short drive last night so Scott could check on some cattle that are about to calve — indeed, the first one had — and he asked if I'd gotten a picture of the trumpeter swans that flew over my head. I must've thought they were geese, because I didn't notice them.
Yeah, that's my exciting life. Other than that, the only thing more happy-making these days is that my sister Joan keeps sending me these hilarious distorted-face videos of herself on Snapchat, making me laugh out loud and appreciate her more each time. I can really use these laughs! and am most grateful to have such a fun-loving person in my life. Thanks for these little pick-me-ups, Joanie!
